The present invention relates generally to data processing systems and, more particularly, to display of objects on video displays in data processing systems.
Many operating systems provide a cursor that indicates a current position on a video display. The cursor is generally manipulable by an input device, such as a keyboard or a mouse. In certain operating systems, such as the Microsoft WINDOWS, version 3.1, operating system, which is sold by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington, a window may have a status bar that displays information about the object to which the cursor is currently pointing. As the cursor is moved to point at different objects, the contents of the status bar changes accordingly. The status bar is a separate graphic entity that is not connected to the cursor and does not move with the cursor. The status bar is positioned on the video display at a fixed location within a window. As such, a user has to look at two separate portions of the screen if he wishes to view both the cursor and the status bar. This separation of the status bar from the cursor can be confusing and burdensome to the user.
Some operating systems provide static context sensitive help. Static context sensitive help provides static help information about an object. The help information is displayed at a static screen location near the object with which the static context sensitive help is associated. An example of static context sensitive help is Balloon Help described in Inside Macintosh(copyright) Volume VI pp. 11-3 to 11-10. Static context sensitive help information is limited to what the user can do. Static context sensitive help information does not give the user any information about what the user is currently doing or what the user is about to do.
The limitations associated with the use of a status bar and static context sensitive help are overcome by the present invention. The present invention brings the object or action, the pointer (i.e., cursor), and the information into close proximity. In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a method is practiced in a data processing system having a video display, an output device and an input device. In this method, objects, including a cursor, are displayed on the video display. In response to a user using the input device, a selected object is designated by positioning the cursor over at least a portion of one of the objects that are displayed. If the output device is formed by the video display, textual and/or graphical information about the selected object and/or the user""s interaction with the selected object is displayed in an information window adjacent to the cursor. Such information pointers can be very helpful to users.
If the output device includes an audio output device, e.g., a speaker, audio information about the selected object and/or the user""s interaction with the selected object is output over the audio output device. Audio information about a selected object and/or the user""s interaction with an object can be extremely beneficial to all users, but it is essential for blind users. Audio information pointers inform the user about what is happening or what is about to happen based on the user""s interaction with the cursor, for example, xe2x80x9ccopying source to target,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cmoving source to target,xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9clinking target to source.xe2x80x9d Audio information pointers can also notify the user that the cursor is at an edge of the display.
If the output device includes both the video display and an audio device, information about the selected object and/or the user""s interaction with the selected object can be output only on the video display, only on the audio device or on both the video display and the audio device. Irrespective of the output device(s), the information may be output either immediately after the cursor obscures a portion of the object, or after a specified xe2x80x9clingerxe2x80x9d period of time.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method is practiced in a data processing system having a video display, an audio output device and an input device, such as a mouse. In this method, a source object icon associated with a source object is displayed on the video display. A target object icon associated with a target object is also displayed on the video display. In response to the user using the input device, a cursor is positioned to be over at least a portion of the source object icon. In response to the cursor being over at least a portion of the source object icon, information is output about the source object. The information is output on the video display and/or the audio output device. In response to the user using the input device, the source object icon is dragged across the video display until the cursor is over at least a portion of the target object icon. In response to the cursor being over the target object icon, information is output about the target object. Information is also output about the impending action between the source and target objects. For example, xe2x80x9ccopying source to target.xe2x80x9d This method may also include the additional step of dropping the source object icon on the target object icon in response to the user using the input device.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, objects are displayed on the video display and a cursor is positioned on the video display to be over at least a portion of one of the objects. In response to the cursor being positioned over a portion of at least one of the objects, a window holding information about the object which the cursor is over is displayed on the video display. The window can contain multiple types of requested information. For example, one type of requested information may be the name of the object, while another type of requested information may be the size of the object. Both pieces of information will be displayed in the window in a logical order. Alternatively, multiple windows may be associated with, and displayed adjacent to, the cursor.
In accordance with an additional aspect of the present invention, an object is displayed on the video display and a context menu for the object is displayed on the video display in response to the user using the input device. The context menu includes an option for generating an information pointers window. When the user selects the option of generating the information pointers window, the information pointers window is displayed on the video display. The information pointers window holds information about the object and/or the user""s interaction with the object.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the user selects the format of the information pointer. The format may be: (i) the name of the object over which the cursor is positioned on the video display; (ii) information about the object; (iii) a graphical representation of the object, known as a preview; or (iv) any combination of the previously mentioned formats. Alternatively, the user may elect to not display an information pointer. In other words, the user may elect to display only the standard cursor.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, the user""s decision not to generate an information pointers window is overridden. The override is only applied to information deemed to be so critical in nature that it is imperative for the user to receive the information.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, an object is displayed on the video display and the object is selected in response to the user using the input device. A window holding information about the selected object is generated in response to the user using the input device. The window includes a pointer from the window to the selected object.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a data processing system includes a video display for displaying at least one object. The data processing system also includes an input device for positioning the cursor on the video display. The data processing system further includes an audio output device for outputting audio information and an audio information generator. The audio information generator generates audio information about an object on the video display when the cursor is positioned over the object. In addition, the audio information generator forwards the audio information to the audio output device so that the audio information may be output.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the data processing system includes an input device in a video display for displaying objects in windows. The data processing system also includes an information window generator for generating information windows holding information about associated objects. Each information window includes a visual pointer that points to its associated object.